Medical Careers: How to Become a Medical Assistant

Many people might be interested in the medical field but they are unsure of which direction to go. They want to be more than just another secretary but they aren’t sure if they want to go through nursing or medical school.

There are many opportunities for those types of people. If you are interested in something more than a plain secretary and want to explore the medical field, becoming a Medical Assistant might be something you would be interested in.

Medical Assistants are vital in the medical field. Multi tasking will be key to your success in this field and the skills that you will gain will be priceless.

You will need to have their certification prior to be able to gain employment in this field. There are many good one or two year programs in the area that can get you the certification and training you will need. The certification should come from an accredited medical assistant school.

Some employers will also require you to have a medical terminology certificate as well. You will also have to have basic computer skills too. Every employers will have their own protocol so it’s up to each employer to train you how they do things within their facilities.

Once you have your certification what can Medical Assistants expect to do? The main part of your work will be to assist in select duties. These duties may be that of administration or clerical work or you may even be asked to assist in nursing duties.

Part of your job may be to prep the patients for exams by taking patient histories and vital signs. You may have to prep the patient examining rooms. Often you will assist the physician with exams or minor surgeries, depending on what type of doctor you work with. On the clerical side of the job you will be in charge of scheduling tests and treatments.

Here’s a good look at the life of a Medical Assistant

While the certification process isn’t as intense as it is to becoming a nurse, you will still have to put aside some time to learn and study in order to get certified as a medical assistant.

You may even have to maintain the patient files and order office supplies.
Medical Assistants can get a great feel for the medical profession. Whether its compiling reports for your doctor or administering injections and changing dressings as supervised or instructed by the physician you will get to see it all. You really do get a taste of both worlds.

Salary for medical assistants can vary with the average being $28,000- $30,000. With overtime you could be looking at a salary of $40,000-$50,000 a year.

One thing is clear, California ranks the highest in Medical Assistant job opportunities with roughly 2,800 job openings each year. Coincidentally, they also have the highest average hourly pay of $22.00 per hour.